Every element of a swimming pool is a delicate balance of art and science. Beauty and the Beast. Form vs. Function. Soft Water vs. Algae . . . Designing the perfect swimming pool for your backyard is no exception. We always tell our clients, they can have anything they want – sometimes that’s easy to deliver, sometimes it’s a challenge. Either way, you’ll love the end result. Here is how we approach design at Shoreline Pools:

Lay of the Land

Surprisingly enough, the first place to start is not the shape of the pool. Every property in every municipality has restrictions. Property setback lines, setbacks from wells and septic systems, coverage issues, and environmental issues. Once we map all of the restrictions and these considerations are met, you are left with an area of your property that can accommodate a swimming pool. That’s the space we focus on.

Goals of Your Pool

Next we ask our clients (which may sound silly at first), “Why do you want a swimming pool?” Are you swimming laps or exercising? Entertaining – kids, adults, both? Are you looking for a show-stopping piece of artwork? Trying to keep the kids home more often? Escaping the everyday grind? Once you understand the why the design starts to take shape.

Shaping Your Vision

The next step is to determine a shape that accommodates all of your whys and meets your visual expectations. The most spectacular pools take cues from existing property, landscape, and architectural elements. For example, if your property has hills and rock outcroppings then a free form shape pool is going to compliment those natural elements and tell a cohesive visual story. If you live in a large contemporary house that dominates most of the site, then a contemporary swimming pool with clean-lines will extend that concept into your backyard and the combined impact will be stunning. Our advice: don’t try to be overly creative. We actually recommend that our clients try to have their pool take a back seat to the overall yard. Let it be one component in the entire, well-designed space. Keeping the design simple doesn’t mean the project isn’t complicated. Simplicity can be very difficult to achieve, but will give you the perfect pool for your property.

Customize Your Experience

Now you’re ready to think about the interior of your swimming pool. Structural, lighting, and mechanical options are almost endless. At this stage, we go back to the why to determine how to customize your swimming pool. If you have young kids, you might want to consider a beach entry or extended sun shelf to give you lots of shallow play space. If you plan to entertain regularly, you may want to include in-pool anchors to hold sun umbrellas for extra shade. If you host evening events, you’ll want to consider custom LED lighting. If you and your family will be spending countless hours in the water, salt-generators and other eco-friendly sanitation systems are available to make swimming more enjoyable. Our design consultants will work with you to select the features that will truly enhance your swimming pool experience.

Finishing Your New Space

Now that the plans for your custom swimming pool are complete, it’s time to think about the surrounding space. The best place to start is with how. How are you currently using your backyard, and how do you want to use it when you have a brand new pool? Will you want deck space for lounging and sunbathing by the pool? Do stone walkways or retaining walls need to be built to accommodate your design? If you’ll be enjoying your new pool in the evening, you’ll wan to add LED lighting. And finally, many of our clients are building gourmet, outdoor kitchens and adding fire pits, fireplaces, and full service bars for easy entertaining and late-season use.

The bottom line is, start clipping pictures and thinking about how you want to enjoy your new backyard now. The more ideas you have the more you and your pool designer will have to work with!